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Horizons: "Moderate This."
Posted: Monday August 7th, 2006
by
You guys know me, I only have so much patience before my resolve to be diplomatic crumbles and I say exactly what I'm thinking. And since EI has stymied the Horizons' playerbase's ability to say what they think on the game's "community" forums, I figured I'd say it for them in an area EI has no power to moderate or subdue.
To explain, this weekend EI Interactive began warning people and kicking them out of the official IRC channel for saying negative things about the billing woes. They then locked down the forums so that all new posts are read and moderated before they are allowed to appear on the "community" forums. They also deleted the "Rants" and "Goodbye" sections of the forums, where users aired their grievances and said their farewells respectively.
The idea is to keep potential clients from seeing negative criticism of EI's efforts on the game so they aren't "scared away" from purchasing the product. This is in no way new to the MMOG community; it's been done time and time again. But, in every instance the backlash has been quick and brutal. EI, apprently, has not learned this particular lesson.
In closing, I've tried to allow EI Interactive some breathing room. Despite my own reservations, I encouraged people to give them a chance before leaving the game. And when the billing woes began, I advised people to avoid the game, but ONLY until such point as EI resolved the issues. But, when they make the decision to take away the voices of their users, my inclination to be supportive and forgiving disappears.
There's no quieting the community.
---
Now, I realize the comic is harsh, but I won't allow this thread to devolve into empty bashing and pointless negativity. There's nothing wrong with expressing your displeasure or concerns, but I need you guys to do it in a constructive manner so that this thread actually benefits the people that read it. Even EI if they choose to listen.
Please Note: I still do not advocate giving up on Horizons completely.
[ discuss ]
To explain, this weekend EI Interactive began warning people and kicking them out of the official IRC channel for saying negative things about the billing woes. They then locked down the forums so that all new posts are read and moderated before they are allowed to appear on the "community" forums. They also deleted the "Rants" and "Goodbye" sections of the forums, where users aired their grievances and said their farewells respectively.
The idea is to keep potential clients from seeing negative criticism of EI's efforts on the game so they aren't "scared away" from purchasing the product. This is in no way new to the MMOG community; it's been done time and time again. But, in every instance the backlash has been quick and brutal. EI, apprently, has not learned this particular lesson.
In closing, I've tried to allow EI Interactive some breathing room. Despite my own reservations, I encouraged people to give them a chance before leaving the game. And when the billing woes began, I advised people to avoid the game, but ONLY until such point as EI resolved the issues. But, when they make the decision to take away the voices of their users, my inclination to be supportive and forgiving disappears.
There's no quieting the community.
---
Now, I realize the comic is harsh, but I won't allow this thread to devolve into empty bashing and pointless negativity. There's nothing wrong with expressing your displeasure or concerns, but I need you guys to do it in a constructive manner so that this thread actually benefits the people that read it. Even EI if they choose to listen.
Please Note: I still do not advocate giving up on Horizons completely.
[ discuss ]
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